A conventional exercise machine used for performing squats helps strengthen muscles using stabilized weight, which is guided through a range of motion by the machine. However, performing the squats creates stress on knees and back, causing improper conditioning of the muscles around targeted areas of a user's body while exercising. Knee pain from using the squat machine is common because the machine forces the user's body into fixed movement patterns and places shearing loads on the user's knees. Further, the conventional machine tends to make the user rest directly against the machine and forces the user into unnatural movement patterns losing balance while pushing a weighted bar upwardly. This creates more back stress, especially with heavier weights, thereby causing lower back pain.